Published: Tuesday, June 3, 2014 at 8:17 p.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, June 3, 2014 at 8:17 p.m.

A Florida Highway Patrol trooper was making an improper turn last month when his car started a four-vehicle crash on Interstate 75 that left three children seriously injured, according a reported released by the FHP.

The crash report also noted that two other drivers contributed to the accident by driving too fast.

However, until the investigation is complete, no one is being charged or ticketed, officials said. The trooper remains on duty.

The FHP report provided this description of the accident:

On the night of May 18, Trooper Raul Umana, 20, was heading north on I-75 in the middle lane approaching an official-use-only U-turn near Mile Marker 345 south of Ocala. The trooper tried to make the U-turn by steering to the left, but the right front of his car struck the end of the southbound guardrail.

The car, which was traveling 45 mph, keep going out into the inside southbound lane.

A Nissan Altima driven by Christeia Tionna Jones, 27, of Orlando, was in that lane going about 88 mph. Her three children, Logan Grant, 2, Lanard Maybin, 5, and Denard Maybin Jr., 7, were passengers in the Nissan.

Also in that lane, going about 85 mph in the 70 mph speed zone, was a Mercedes driven by Terry Scanes, 40, of Miami.

An older model Peterbilt tractor-trailer driven by William Richmond, 61, of Detroit, was going the speed limit in the middle lane.

In the Nissan, Jones tried to avoid hitting the trooper’s car by braking and steering to the right but still struck its front push bumper. The Nissan then went into the middle lane. In the Mercedes, Scanes tried to avoid a collision by steering right but also struck the right front of the trooper’s car.

The Mercedes then hit the left side of the Peterbilt, and both went into the guardrail in the median. The Mercedes struck the guardrail with its front, spun around counterclockwise and hit the guardrail again with its rear.

The semi struck the back of the Nissan, and both vehicles traveled onto the west shoulder where the front of the semi again collided with the car before hitting a tree.

The Nissan caught fire after coming to rest against a tree.

According to earlier reports, Marion County sheriff’s deputies arrived but were unable to put the fire out with their extinguishers. The deputies, along with another FHP trooper and a bystander, tried to get the children out of the back of the car but could not open the doors.

Jones had pulled out earlier, according to Marion County Sheriff’s Office reports.

Marion County Fire Rescue arrived a short time later, put out the fire and got the children out of the car. They were taken to UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville.

Investigators said that, as far as they know, the injured children are still at UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville. They said that, on request of their mother’s lawyer, the hospital is not releasing information about them.

The Orlando Sentinel reported on its website Tuesday that Valerie Terry, the children’s grandmother, said one is recovering but two of are not doing well and remain in the hospital.

The trooper and the drivers of the other two vehicles were taken to area hospitals with minor injuries.

The two older children were not wearing seat belts, according to the FHP report. Jones and Scanes also were not wearing seat belts. The rest were buckled in.

Michael James Allen, a witness out of Georgia, told the Star-Banner he didn’t want to talk about the crash until he first talked with investigators. As of Tuesday, he said, he had not been contacted.

Umana has not yet given a statement. So investigators cannot say why he was making a U-turn. Authorities said he had been assisting a disabled vehicle not far from where the accident occurred.

Reached by phone, Richmond, owner of Richmond Trucking LLC, said he was hauling meat to Miami when the crash occurred. He declined further comment, instead referring questions to DLD Lawyers, a Miami law firm. The lawyer representing Richmond was not available for comment.

Jones is being represented by Randall Rutledge of Farah & Farah, a Jacksonville law firm. He could not be reached for comment. Neither Umana or Scanes could be reached for comment.

<p>A Florida Highway Patrol trooper was making an improper turn last month when his car started a four-vehicle crash on Interstate 75 that left three children seriously injured, according a reported released by the FHP.</p><p>The crash report also noted that two other drivers contributed to the accident by driving too fast.</p><p>However, until the investigation is complete, no one is being charged or ticketed, officials said. The trooper remains on duty.</p><p>The FHP report provided this description of the accident:</p><p>On the night of May 18, Trooper Raul Umana, 20, was heading north on I-75 in the middle lane approaching an official-use-only U-turn near Mile Marker 345 south of Ocala. The trooper tried to make the U-turn by steering to the left, but the right front of his car struck the end of the southbound guardrail.</p><p>The car, which was traveling 45 mph, keep going out into the inside southbound lane.</p><p>A Nissan Altima driven by Christeia Tionna Jones, 27, of Orlando, was in that lane going about 88 mph. Her three children, Logan Grant, 2, Lanard Maybin, 5, and Denard Maybin Jr., 7, were passengers in the Nissan.</p><p>Also in that lane, going about 85 mph in the 70 mph speed zone, was a Mercedes driven by Terry Scanes, 40, of Miami.</p><p>An older model Peterbilt tractor-trailer driven by William Richmond, 61, of Detroit, was going the speed limit in the middle lane. </p><p>In the Nissan, Jones tried to avoid hitting the trooper's car by braking and steering to the right but still struck its front push bumper. The Nissan then went into the middle lane. In the Mercedes, Scanes tried to avoid a collision by steering right but also struck the right front of the trooper's car.</p><p>The Mercedes then hit the left side of the Peterbilt, and both went into the guardrail in the median. The Mercedes struck the guardrail with its front, spun around counterclockwise and hit the guardrail again with its rear.</p><p>The semi struck the back of the Nissan, and both vehicles traveled onto the west shoulder where the front of the semi again collided with the car before hitting a tree.</p><p>The Nissan caught fire after coming to rest against a tree.</p><p>According to earlier reports, Marion County sheriff's deputies arrived but were unable to put the fire out with their extinguishers. The deputies, along with another FHP trooper and a bystander, tried to get the children out of the back of the car but could not open the doors.</p><p>Jones had pulled out earlier, according to Marion County Sheriff's Office reports.</p><p>Marion County Fire Rescue arrived a short time later, put out the fire and got the children out of the car. They were taken to UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville.</p><p>Investigators said that, as far as they know, the injured children are still at UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville. They said that, on request of their mother's lawyer, the hospital is not releasing information about them.</p><p>The Orlando Sentinel reported on its website Tuesday that Valerie Terry, the children's grandmother, said one is recovering but two of are not doing well and remain in the hospital.</p><p>The trooper and the drivers of the other two vehicles were taken to area hospitals with minor injuries.</p><p>The two older children were not wearing seat belts, according to the FHP report. Jones and Scanes also were not wearing seat belts. The rest were buckled in.</p><p>Michael James Allen, a witness out of Georgia, told the Star-Banner he didn't want to talk about the crash until he first talked with investigators. As of Tuesday, he said, he had not been contacted.</p><p>Umana has not yet given a statement. So investigators cannot say why he was making a U-turn. Authorities said he had been assisting a disabled vehicle not far from where the accident occurred.</p><p>Reached by phone, Richmond, owner of Richmond Trucking LLC, said he was hauling meat to Miami when the crash occurred. He declined further comment, instead referring questions to DLD Lawyers, a Miami law firm. The lawyer representing Richmond was not available for comment.</p><p>Jones is being represented by Randall Rutledge of Farah & Farah, a Jacksonville law firm. He could not be reached for comment. Neither Umana or Scanes could be reached for comment.</p>